Bike Reviews

When my 15-year-old duffle bag gave up the ghost this past spring, the hunt was on for a replacement. The thing I loved about that bag was the easy organization of my essentials. There were spaces for everything from water bottles to wet clothes. Separate areas for dirty shoes meant that my clean unused clothes from an event stayed that way. And a generous main compartment held almost everything I could ever want at a race or event—I tend to bring everything AND the kitchen sink. There were some downsides to that old bag though. Being from the pre-internet-is-everywhere era, there was no storage for a laptop computer, nor was there a dedicated helmet holder or pocket for keeping sunglasses uncrushed.

As much as I loved that bag’s expansiveness, I ended up with a rather modest backpack rather than a traveling circus of a duffle. The Bontrager Flanders backpack carried enough gear, including said laptop, accessories, and glasses, to get me through four days in Phoenix and a few other recent multi-day trips. There were pockets for everything I needed. The main compartment is spacious and each and every pocket was labeled with what should go there, be it glasses or shoes or helmet. The labels sound unnecessary, but they’re a godsend when you’re pre-coffee, a million miles from home, and in a rush. As a backpack it was comfortable enough to hop a bus, or hop on a bike for a jaunt ‘round the neighborhood. Padded shoulder straps with sternum and waist cinches add security and hold heavy loads still as you ride or run.—Mike Yozell